Ways of forming imperatives

There are no special imperative verb forms or imperative sentence structures in Navajo. Any sentence with a second or a fourth person subject can be understood as imperative as long as the meaning of the rest of the sentence allows it.

Navajo has sentences that can be used as commands or requests, formed with a second person subject, with the verb in certain modes. There also are less direct ways of making commands or requests that are formed with a fourth person subject. These sentences can be affirmative or negative. Below are examples of each of these:

Second Person Affirmation

(1)
Shíká ’anilyeed.
1-for 2-run.I
Help me. / You’re helping me. (lit. You’re running for me.)

Second Person Negation

Optative

(2)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’.
cat out-3-2-take.Opt
Don’t put the cat out! (YMM 1992:882) [[CHECK with speakers]]

Optative + lágo

(3)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’ lágo.
cat out-3-2-carry.O hope.not
Don’t put the cat out! / I hope you don’t put the cat out.

t’áadoo V-

(4)
T’áadoo ’anit’íní!
neg 2-do.NI-Í
Don’t do that!

Fourth Person Affirmative

(5)
Hatáaldi jigháahgo hozhdísin łeh.
ceremony-at 4-go.I-GO 4-respect.NI usually
One should be respectful when one goes to a ceremony.

Fourth Person Negation

(6)
Doo ’ájíníi da!
neg 4-say.NI -neg
One doesn’t say that!

The imperfective mode yields an immediate imperative (i.e., something that requires immediate action), and the future mode is more likely to be used for commands that are less immediate. The optative mode is often used with imperative negations. See also Reichard (1951:137), YM (1987:204), and YMM (1992:881f.). YM (1987:204-5) presents examples of imperatives in numerous aspects. We do not repeat this work here but refer the reader to these sources.

In Navajo, commands seem to be indirect, arising by implication and inference. Sentences with fourth person subjects are often general statements about what constitutes good behavior. The person spoken to is left to infer that the reason the speaker chose to utter the general statement is to affect the hearer’s behavior. Hence, there can be an implication of a command. Statements using the optative mode with lágo express the hopes of the speaker (‘I hope you don’t do this’ or ‘I hope that doesn’t happen’). The behavior in question is understood to be inconsistent with the speaker's desires. If the speaker is in a position of authority, the result is an indirect imperative.

Glossing conventions and a note on morphology are here [link].

An example search has returned 50 entries

’Ak’ah ła’ dishhį́įhgo baa naashá.

lard some 3-1-melt.I 3-to 1-go.CI

’Anishkeed, t’áá ká nóólk’oł lágo.

2-3-photograph.I neg 2-blink.O LÁGO

’Ashą́ą́ nít’ę́ę́’ t’áadoo hooyání shaa ’ílwod.

1-eat.Prog past suddenly 1-for 3-drive.P

’Áłah ’aleehdi hastiin léi’ t’óó yááłtih yiits’a’.

meeting-at man INDEF just 3-talk.Prog 3-be.heard.I

’Áádę́ę́’ nánísdzáago łį́į́’ ni’deeshjoł.

from.there 1-return.p-GO horse 3-for pl-1-feed.F

At’ééd aní shí k’ad naalyéhé báhooghango déyá. Nit’éé’ bimá aní k’adee’ da’iigháásh.

girl 3-say.IP 1-now goods 3-for-home-GO directional-go. past 3-mother 3-say.IP now time-sleep.

Béégashii yáázh ła’ shibee’í’diidłííd bik’i niní’ą́.

calf one 1-cattle.brand 3-on 3-1-put.NP

bik’ídadiidis

pl-3DO-1dpl-wrap.it.around.it.I

bik’ídidoohdis

3DO-2dpl-wrap.it.around.it.F

Ch’ééh jidighaahgo, ajółhosh laanaa jinizin łeh.

in.vain 4-walk.I-GO, 4-sleep.O hope 4-want.CI usually

Da’adánídi ’áts’ą́ą́’ deeshghał.

restaurant-at ribs 3-1-eat.F

Daango k’ééda’dilyééh nt’éé’ t’áádoo k’ééda’diilyáa da.

spring-GO 3-plant.R past NEG 3-3-plant.P NEG

daohtł’ó

pl-3DO-2dpl-weave.it.I

Dichinísh doodaii’ dibáá’ísh dzinízin?

hunger-Q or thirst-Q 3-4-want.NI

Díí ’abíní dibé tóógóó neeshkał.

this morning sheep water-to 3-1-herd.Prog

Dzghą́ą́’í bizaad doo shił bééhózin da.

White.Mountain.Apache-NOM 3-language NEG 1-with 3-ho-know.CI NEG

Gólízhii dégo dasidoo’į́įgo da’oołzhish nỉ.

skunk up-GO pl-3-look.I-GO pl-3-dpl-dance.I
listenloadingplaying

Skunk said, all of you,look up and dance.

hadadoołbįįd

pl-3DO-2dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.P

hadeidééłbįįd

pl-3DO-3dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.P

hadeidínóołchał

pl-3DO-3dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

hadeiilgéésh

pl-3DO-1dpl-cut.it.out.I

haidínóołchał

3DO-3-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

hajíígeed

3DO-4-dig.it.out.P

haniilchaad

3DO-1dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).I

Háí shą’ ’ałhosh?

who Q 3-sleep.I

Hodíina’go bááh dootł’izhí deeshį́į́ł dóó ’ahwéé b ła’ deeshdlį́į́ł.

after.a.while-GO bread blue 3-1-eat.F and coffee 3-with some 3-1-drink.F

K’ad dibé ch’íi’nííł.

now sheep 3-2-du-take.out.I
listenloadingplaying

We (us two) are taking out the sheep.

Kʼadí! Tʼáadoo tʼóó ’ííyį́į̨́łí.

stop NEG just 2-eat.Prog-í

naohłé

3DO-2dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.I

Náá’íídéeshtah nisin doodago t’óó siláogóó deeshááł.

again-1-go.school.F 1-want or merely military-to 1-go.F

Nichxǫ’ t’áadoo baa nánít’íní.

stop NEG 3-about 2-bother.I-Í
listenloadingplaying

Stop, don’t bother it!

Nighéí na’ashch’ąą’ígíí níil’į́.

over.there painting-ÍGÍÍ 3-2-du.look.I
listenloadingplaying

We (us two) are looking at that painting.

nisoołkáá’

3DO-2dpl-investigate.it.P

Saad naashkaahgo baa naash.

word 3-1-research.CI-GO 3-to 1-go.Prog

Shimá bighangóó shíni’ ńt’éé’ ch’ééhago shhoogéé’.

1-mother 3-home-to 1-desire.to.go past in.vain 1-go.P-GO 1-with ho-become.lazy.X

Shiyáázh niʼíłtááh. Bá daʼdiidííł; ʼákohgo chʼiyáán ʼálʼį́įgi shiká ʼadoojah.

1-son 3-graduate.I 3-for 1pl-eat.F so-then food indef-make-at 1-after 3pl-help.F
listenloadingplaying

My son is graduating, let’s have a dinner, I need everyoneʼs help preparing the meal.

T’ah nagháíí yę́ędą́ą́’ ’áłchíní nízaadi da’ółta’ nít’ę́ę́’.

still there past children far-at pl-3-read.I past

T’áá ká ’adinoólgháásh.

neg 2-oversleep.O

T’áá ’aaí ’aníigo t’éiyá doo bikee’ saad si’ą́ą da.

truly 3-say.I-GO only NEG 3-behind word 3-sit.SPN NEG

Tó tsíídkáá’ dididííkááł.

water charcoal-on start-3-2-put.OC.F
listenloadingplaying

Put the water on the charcoal (at some time in the future).

Tsxį́įłgo łees’áán ’ádíílííł nimásání nihaa yighááh!

quickly tortilla 3-2-make.F 2.poss-mat.grandma-NOM 1.pl-to 3-come.F

Tsxį́įłgo łees’áán ’ánílééh; nimásání nihaa níyá!

quickly tortilla 2-make.I 2-mat.grandma 1.pl-to 3-came.P

Tó dasiyę́ę ’ałtso naaltséi .

water pl-3-sit.LPB.SPN-deceased completely 3-dried.up.P DISC

Tł’éédą́ą́, yá’át’ééhgo iiłhaaz. Night.last good.GO 1-sleep.P

Night.last good.GO 1-sleep.P

wołbéézh

3DO-2dpl-boil.it.I

yiilbéézh

3DO-1dpl-boil.it.I

Yiską́ągo naaltsoos naa deesh’ááł.

tomorrow book 2-for 1-move.SRO.F

Yiską́ągo ’azee’ííłíní niwoo’ yideeshnish doo.

tomorrow doctor 2-teeth 3-2-work.F will.be

yíníłhį́į́’

3DO-2-melt.it.(snow).P

“Chizh ła’ nahílááh”, hałní jíní.

firewood some 2-gather.I 4-say.P 4-say.P
listenloadingplaying

“Gather some firewood”, one said, it was said.